Window screen



Mwcm 3, Wm. R, A. NORQUIST ET AL WINDOW SCREEN Filed March 19. 1929 IIIIIIIILIIJ y Patented Mar. 3,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE RALPH A. NORQUIST AND GLENN H. NOBQUIST, F JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK WINDOW SCREEN Application led Haroh 19, 1929. Serial No. 348,285.

This invention relates to metal frame window screens and has special reference to the lstructure whereby a seat for the screen wire is provided and the screen is secured to the seat. The object of the invention is to provide a durable window screen which will have leak-proof joints and may be economically produced, the structure being such that the screen will be rmly secured in a taut smooth condition but may be readily removed when a broken screen is to be replaced. The .invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and consists in certain novel features which will be particularly defined following a detailed description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a window screen embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of one corr ner of the screen showing the meeting members of the frame partly separated and partly broken away and in section;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectionl illustrating a step in the manufacture of the frame, and

Fig. 5 is a detail section showing a modified form of locking strip or key.

According to the presentl invention, .the frame is constructed of sheet metal, the Stiles and top and bottom rails being produced in long strips and then cut to size accordingto the dimensions of the screen which is to be eventually produced. The blank from which the stilc or rail is to be produced'is passed successively through dies or shaping rollsand when it emerges from the inal dies or pair of rolls will have the form shown clearly in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the drawing. As thus p roduced, the frame bar comprises a base web 1 having an integral inwardly projecting central U-shaped o'set 2 extending longitudinally the entire length of the bar, the offset 2 constituting a grooved rib adapted to engage the mating rib 3 of a 'track 4 which is secured to the side member of the window frame. The stile at one side of the finished screen has this rib or shoe 2 of'comparatively slight depth, as shown in Fig. 4, while at the "other side the rib is elongated, as shown at 5 shown in said ligure so that heat which is i.

in Fig. 3, whereby it may engage a somewhat higher track rib 6 secured to the opposite side of the window frame, and a leaf spring 7 is secured Within this deeper track rib or shoe 5, as shown in Fig. 2, to facilitate the fitting of tlie screen to the window frame in the usual manner. Extending from the side edges of the base member 1 are parallel side plates 8 and one side plate is doubled upon itself, as shown at 9,'l whereby the edge of the frame bar is reinforced and buckling is prevented. From the inner edge of the doubled reinforcement '9, the plate extends transversely of the frame bar to form a bridging member 10 which abuts the parallel side plate and then extends inwardly toward the free edge of said parallel side plate for a short distance, as shown at 11, to form a seat for the screen and the locking rib or key. The longer plate 8 extends across and beyond the seating mem- 70 ber 11 to constitute a reinforcement, and from the inner edge of said seat the metal plate is carried transversely at an angle to said longer side plate and to the bridging member 10, as shown at 12, this portion 12 ex- 75 tending approximately one-half the width of the frame bar. The side plate and the inner plate then extend inwardly in parallelism for a short distance, as shown at 13, the edge portion of the side plate being bent inwardly to produce a beveled or inclined portion 14 terminating in an inturned lip 15 which is disposed in the same plane as tlie portion 13, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. Said portion 13 is slightly offset, as indicated at 16, whereby its 85 edge portion may extend between the lip 15 and the oblique or beveled portion 14 with its extreme edge folded on itself to bear against the said oblique or beveled portion. Prior to the entra-nce of the blank between the finishing dies or rolls, a strip of solder, indicated at 17, is introduced between the inwardly extending intermediate web 13 and the obliquely disposed web 14 so that when the lip 15 and the mating edge portion of the l" web 13 are bent together by the dies or rolls the solder will be housed, as indicated in Fig.

4, the frame' being then held in the position then applied will melt the solderand cause the lips may permit the spring to befremoved and Ainserted it to run down into. and penetrate the joint formed by the members 13 and 15 whereby these members will be sweated togtlher and permanently and rigidlyunited. eframe bar thus produced 1s ve rigid and-1s free of open joints into whic moisture or dust may penetrate to corrode the metal or to loosen the frame or cause other distortion or defects which will shorten the life of the screen. It may sometimes be desirable to invert the frame bar from the position shown in Fig. 4 so that the solder may be permitted to penetrate the joint between the longer lside plate 8 and the seat portion 11 which abuts the same so that spreading of the side plates willbe positively prevented. The seat 11 and adjacent portion of the plate 8 may be joined hy spot-welding, if preferred.

Referring particularly to Fig. l3, it will be noted that the deeper shoe or track engaging member of the frame has side portions parallel with `the side plates ofthe frame bar connected at their inner ends by an integral bridging web 18 and at the mouth or opening of this member are inwardly projecting o posed lips 19 formed b doubling the folds of the metal upon themse ves so that the needed strength at this point will be attained. These lips 19 also furnish fulcrum ribs permitting the screen to rock upon the higher track rib 6 when the rib is being placed in a window or removed therefrom without bending or distorting either the track rail or the frame.v

Upon reference to Fig. 2, it will be noted that one end of the spring is turned at a right angle to project through an opening in the web 18 and thereby anchor the spring so that it cannot slide along the bar. As shown in Fig. 1, the width of the spring is somewhat greater than the distance between the lips 19 so that the lips prevent the spring flying from the bar and thereby being lost. At the same time, by grasping the bar midway its ends, be sprung apart suiciently to 1f necessary.

- The wire netting 20 which constitutes the screen proper has its edgel placed over the shelf or rail produced by the lip 15 and the web 13 alined therewith and folded into the seat presented by the portions 10 and 12 and the intermediate connecting web 11, the doubled lip 9 constituting a shoulder overhanging the sea-t 11, as shown and as will be understood. A locking strip or key 21 is then engaged with the shoulder 9 and the screen Sgt so that the screen will be stretched taut and smooth and firmly secured. In Figs. 1 and 3, the key is shown as consisting of a strip of metal V-sha d in cross. section and having its shorter ranch or weblitting between the shoulder 9 and the seat 11 and against the surface of the wire netting. The key is placed in position by having its angleengaged under the overhanging shoulder 9 and 1s then rocked soV that its s enter the seating portion of the frame and pull the netting Yc osel onger web or branch o the key assummg an oblique position with its free erige bearlng upon the netting and clampin e same to the lip 15. The key will thus secured in plaoeso t at it can not be dlslod d under ordinary but if the wire netting should be dama so that it must be renewed or replaced, 'a flat-ended ry of any convenient type, such as a screw river, may he engaged under the ed of the outer lon r member of the key an the key then prled from under the shoulder 9 s`o as to release the netting. The key is resilient so that it may orter side will into the same, the

very firmly A be easily made to clear the netting engaging A surfaces of the frame and will imme iately resume its normal form after being released so that the forcin of the key into place or the removin of e same as is occasionally necessary will not permanently distort the kev.

uIt will beparticularly noted that when the key has been forced home its angle will engage in the angle formed by the overhanggmg shoulder 9 and the transverse bridging we 10 while the edge of its shorter branch or member will clamp the wire netting in the inner angle of the seat 11. The angular disposition of the wall 12 causes the inner member of the key to wedge in its seat when forced home, whether it bears upon the bottom of the seat or the wall 12 so that the outer web of the key will bear tightly upon the screen nettin And it may be noted at this point that th1s method of fastening .may be employed to sei cure glass panes, cloth, metal, or other panels.

If a heavier frame be desired, the key shown in Fig. 5 ma be used, the outer member 22l of this ey all respects to the outer mem key shown in Fig. 3. The inner however, is formed with a short 23 which is ada the bridgin we a bead 24 w ich substantially fills the seating space defined by the webs 10, 11 and 12 so that the screen will have additional bearing and grippin portions. 'lhis key is inserted and remove in the same manner as the first described key.l

When the bar is cut into lengths to form the stiles and end rails of the screen frame, the cuts are at fan angle of forty-tive degrees to the sides of; the bar, as shown at 25, so that r of the portion ted to extend parallel with `when the bars are brought together they will together. To further reinforce the corners of the frame,

a. bracing rod 26 is engaged in the openingsdefined by the portions 14, 15

member,

10 and then 1s formed into correspgnding in and. 13, as shown most clearly in Iig; 3, and

an additional brace 27 may be engaged in the between the track shoe and the side plates of the frame bar atthe spring-carrying side of the frame. l y

Rollers may, if desired, be mounted in the stiles to engage and run on the respective tracks. The lips 19 fit close to the track 6 so that screens in a doub1etrack structure may easily pass each other.

A screen frame constructed as herein described is exceedingly strong and durable and can be produced at less cost than other metal screen frames now known to us.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. A frame for window screens consisting of hollow metal bars having mitered meeting ends and each having a longitudinally extending hollow shelf against which a screen may be seated, a right angular reinforcing rod having its branches engaged in the open ends of meeting shelves, and means for clamping a screen to the shelves.

2. A frame `for screens consisting of hollow metal bars having track-engaging shoes formed in their outer longitudinal edges and having hollow screen supporting shelves along their inner edges, said bars having mitered meeting ends, means for clamping a screen to the shelves, and right angular reinforcements fitted in the outer hollow portions of the bars around the shoes at their meeting ends.

3. A screen frame comprising hollow frame bars each constructed of a single strip 'of metal having parallel side portions with one side portion extending beyond the other side portlon at its free edge, and a bridging portion extending between the side portions and having a free edge portion offset from the wider side portion, the'wider side portion having its free edge doubled inwardly on itself to overhang and bear against the extreme free edge of the bridging portion and defining a hollow screen-supporting shelf, and means within the shelf embeddmg said free edge portions whereby to permanently secure the same together, the shelf and the y opposite side portion of the frame bar forming a groove to receive an edge of the screen material and a locking key.

4. A screen frame consistin of hollow metalframe bars each formed lntof parallel side plates having their outer longitudinal edges integrally connected by a track-engaging element, one side plate having its, termmal inner edge portion formed into an obliquely disposed-web and a lip extending inwardly from said web in a plane between and parallel with the planes of the side plates and the other side plate having its inner `edge portion'doubled backwardly u n itself to produce an overhanging rein orcing shoulder, a bridging portion extending transversely between the side plates at the outer side of said shoulder, then extending inwardly in contact with the first-mentioned side plate to form a screen seat, and then offset and ex ltended forwardly to 'engage behind the lip and to form a hollow screen-supporting/shelf, said shelf, reinforcing shoulder and bridging portion defining a groove to receive an edge of screen material and a locking key.

5. A screen framecomprising hollow metallic frame-bars each constructed atl its inner longitudinal edge between its sides with. a transverse bridging web, an overhanging inwardly projecting shoulder at one side of said web, a screen seat at the opposite side of said bridging web, a flat hollow offset screen-supporting shelf extending inwardly: from the seat in a plane parallel with and between the sides of the bar, and a resilient locking key engageable at one side in the seat and under said overhanging shoulder and bearing at its outer edge against the shelf whereby to scratch the screen over the shelf to clamp it in the seat.

6. A screen frame comprising hollow metallic frame bars each constructedat its inner longitudinal edge with a transverse bridging web, an overhanging inwardly ro- ]'ecting shoulder at one s1de of said We a screen seat at the opposite side of said bridging web, a flat screen-supporting shelf extending inwardly from the seat between and parallel with the sides of the bar, and a resilient locking key engageable in the seat and under said overhanging shoulder and bearing at its outer edge against the shelf whereby to stretch and -secure the screen over the shelf and in the seat, the inner portion of said keybeing constructed with a bead substantially filling the screen-receiving seat and holding the screen to all sides of the seat.

7. 5A screen fralne including a frame bar having a track-engaging portion provided with opposed lips adapted to engage oppo-I site sides of the track, and a leaf spring houseo in the track-engaging portion and having one end engaged in an opening in the inner wall of said portion, the width of the spring being 4 greater than the distance between the lips.

In testimony whereof we ax our signa-v 

